Improvement in hat-stretchins machines



,N iiinitrel tang instit @pint RUDOLF EICKEMEYER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EIUKEMEYEB HAT- BLOCKING MAGEENE CUMPANY, UF SAME iLACE. i. ,e 'Y

Lcltcrs .Patent No. 91,730, durer? .func 22, 1869.

MWF-

INPROVEMENT IN HAT-STRETCHING IVM-M'IBINES.`

`The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent n making; part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Bc it known thatl,1luDoLrliciiminvnu, ot' `Tionk` ers, in the county of Westchester, and Stato nl' New York, have invented certain new and usei'nl improvcments in Machinery l'or Stretching Hat-Bodies; and l do hciehydeclarc that thc following is al'nll and cor rectdescription thereof, reference being had to the nccompari ying,r drawings, and to thc letters ol' reference marked thereon.

rhis invention consists ol` improvements upon a.

Vmachine for stretching hat-binnes, l'or which Letters Patent ol' the United States, No. 40,553, datcd Fohruary 2S, 1565, wercgrantcd to inc, said Letters Pat-- cnt having heen since. reissued to The liickcmcyer llatdlochingy Machine Lloiiipznly,December l, 1865. That machine consisted gencrally ol' a railiaily-rihhod or skeleton former, whcreon thc lint-body was placed io he stretched, und the ribs oi' which acted as inici'- nal-snmiorting und stretching-snriiiccs, in combination with a series oicxtcrnal stretchi iig-devices, acting upon the outside portions of the iiat-hody, in opposition to thc inernni action oi' thc rihs oi thc slielcton lorlncr, and hctwccn the lines oi support of the. same, to stretch the init-body cinbraccd het-weon thorn, as required, to develop the shape oi the hat. There was also a clamping-ring, to hohl thc hat-hotly to thc rihhcd former.

ln said machine, the upper scriosol'rihs, which snpported the tip ol' thc hat-body, and the lower serios `oi' ribs, which supported the brhn of thc hat-hotly,

were iixed in position, and therelln'e, in order to stri-.tch hut-bodies ol' dilcrent sizes, or ol' diii'crcnt conical outline, diii'erent skeleton or ribbed i'ormcrs were required; and the object oi` a port of my proscrit improvements is to avoid this necessity ol removing the skeleton former, and substituting another, ofdiliorcnt i'orin, in its place, when operating upon dilicrent-shaped hats.

Sonic hat-bodies have higher crowns than others,

the crowns varyin,r in height, as taste or fashion dictaies.

'lo accommodate the machine to the variation of heights ol'orowns, I have made thc two series ci' ribs, winch support the tip and brim, adjustable, relatively to cach other, in a vertical direction, so that the series ot' supporting-ribs, which support the tip, may occupy a higher or lower position relatively to the lower sci-ics ol supporting-ribs, which support the brim, as required, ibrstretching hat-bodies with crowns ovarions heights. I have found it most convenient to mahe this vertical adjustment hy raising or lowering,r the lower scrics'ol' supporting-ribs, the upper series or :ip-ribs remaining stationary.

lint-hodlcs' are of dili'eront conical shapes, according t the stvlcs into which they are to he developed, and rctpiirc cori-espnodingly-diihrent inclinations oi' the lowcr supporting-ribs, to receive them, nud present them. properly for the action of thc exterior stretching-dcviccs.

To ohriatc thc necessity of a multiplicity of skeleton-rihlned ihrmcrs, correspoinling with such variations` oi' forms ol' liai-hodics, I have. made thc brim-supporting ribs clinically adjustable to iliil'crcnt inclinations, by hinging thcm, at their upper ends, to a ring or hub, and providing rhein with a means of expansion and support beneath, so that they may he varied in position, ns require-ii, :ind cia-operato with the `exteriorV strctchingaleviccs, (the latter being properly adj nseih) to stretch hat-bodies ol' various dili'crcnt conical forms; and lin' the purpose oi adapting the machine to stretch hat-hollies ol' diliinrc-nbsized crowns, and dili'crcnt conical shapes, without exchanging, the. ribbed former, I have combined both ofthe ahove-mvntioled improvemoins l-ogothcr, so thnt thc mnchinc. may he changed, hoth with respect to tho relative insight ofthe, crownrihs, and the anglo ol' inclination ol the brim-ribs.

ln the practical operation ol' stretching hats in my machine, l` have l'onnd it desirahic to apply steam to the hachodv. To :lo this in the. most cli'ectual manner, I introduce steam within thc haohoily hy a steam pipe, which discharges sic-ana within thc limits ol' thc rihs which .-i.pport tho hnt-hody5 and l haveaisocinnhinod with the nnichinf.:- an automatic contrivaimo, m shut oli' the steun; when the operation of stretching thc hathody has heen perlhrnnnl, and the supporting and stretching-snriiiccs reniovcd iron nach other, for

the purpose. ol replacing.; or rearranging thc hat-body,

But to more particularly dcscriho my invention, I will refer to the accompanying drawings, nl' which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine;

Figure 2, a iront elevation;

Figure 3, a detached view oi' the plate which supports the stretching-lingers;

Figure 4, detached view of clamping-linger;

Figure 5, skeleton-top view, showing the relative position oi' hoth scriesol'the supporting-ribs, and their respectivo series of stretching-rollers or iingers;

Figure 6 is a plan view oi' the circular ring or hub to which the hinged ribs arc hinged; and

Figure 7, a view of thc small piece d, pnt in the notches oi' the circular ring, to keep thc hinged lingers in place.

The fiume of the machine consists of tivoside frames, a a, framed together hy the cross-plates a a, and a tic-rod, a?. e

The cross-plato a? is made in the form of ashallow annular trough, to catch watcrof' condensation from thc 'steam used in the operation ot' stretching..

In the middle of the cross-haine plates bosses are cast, in which vertical holes :irc bored, to serve as guides for the round vcrtical-rceiprocating lifting-rod or spindle a, to the upper end oi' which is secured the series ci' rihs Il, for simportinglln-z tip ofthe hat-body.

These rihs arc projected radially from the hubb, on which 'they arc cast, and a hole boing cored in the hub,

By turning this hand-wheel, mi, the fingers m are simultaneously adjusted to their required positions,

`the circular tlauge supporting the lingers against. the A pressure upon them from below. l

.An inner series of slots, n, in the circular plate l receives the inner series of streiching-iiugers n., which are hinged on the inner circular bead, or tlunge n2 in `the saine. manner as the outer lingers, and are otherwise similarly constructed, except. that their upper vvends bend outward, and they are supported against- .11, the ends of which, resi-ing ou the circular iranieplaie I, determine the position oi' the plate p, and, consequently, the position oi' the inner series of fingers, which (zo-operate with the tip-ribs.

The cla|nping-lingers q are shaped as shown in the drawings, and have n rubber pad, q', inserted at the place where they rest on the hinged ribs, or rai-her on the hnhbody over the ribs.

They are secured to n ring, yr, supported by the sliding rods r, which pass up through guide-holes in the plates l and p, and are iisiened in the eirenlar pinto r2, in the. hub oi' which is a hole oi' proper size to admit of its sliding up and down freely on the eentml screw m6.

A robber washer, or spring, s, lyinpv around the screw ou top of the hand-wheel, take-s the weight. el' the frame ol' the clamping-fingers.

".ihe upper ends of' the rods, by which the ring which supports the clamping-lingers is framed with the sliding, circular plate above, are made adjustable by means oi' screw-threads and nuts, ns shown in the drawings, for the purpose of setting the clamping-lingers so as to clamp. the hat-body to the ribs before the st-retehing-fingers come in Contact. with it..

As before said, the machine is so constructed that, either t-he tip-stretching ribs or the. hinged ribs may be used separately or together. And the operation is simpl)`- to place the hat-body upon the supporting-ribs, when the lifting-rod is down, and the machine being in motion, it is carried up to the stretching-fingers, which,

h v pressing on the habbody, between the ribs, stretch the same as required for blocking.

I claim as ol` my invent-ion and improvements in bodies are stretched by and between coziieallynn' ranged supporting-ribs and exterior stretching-de vices, as substantially described in Leiters Patent of the United States'granted to me February 2S, 1865- 1. Making the two series of snpportingwibs, which adjustable rclatirelyio each other, so as to conform to diii'eri-ut heighs of crowns of' liut-bodiesto be stretched, substantially as described.

.2. Making the ribs of the iower series oi' support;- ing-ribs which support the. brim conica-ily adjustable at dill'crent angles of inclination, to conform to the variations oi eouienl forms oi hatdamlies'., by hinging means of' expansiouninl support beneath, substantially as described. Y

3. Making the supporting-ribs which support; the lip and brini oi' the hat-body adjustable, so as to oonl'orin both to variniions of' heights of crowns and vnriations of eonieai forms of hat-bodies, snbstinitiailji as described.

4. ln eoinbinatinn with the series of stieieliiiigilevices which act upon the exterior of the brim of 'the lxat-imdy, the adjustable hinged supporingfA "bieb snpporiy the brim oi the hai-hotly, in ennui-m1. '1. to lixed supporiine-rihs, ihr supporting the brins. of the hat-body, substantially as described.

5. ln combination with a series oi' snpportin ibs and :i series oi'sbretehiiig-devices, operaiirigf, to eh a hat-bollir between them, substantiallyy as described, a steam-pipe., or conduit .within the limits ol' the sup porting-ribs, whereby steam is applied directly` to the hat-bnd y placed tin-reen, substantially as described.

(i. In combination with the supporting-ribs and stretching-devices, the steam-chest, t-he reciprocating pipe, and hollow hiring-rod, with its discharge-apertures, whereby steam is applied to the hat-bodies'during;r the operation n2' stretching, and cut olf when the hat-bodies are put on or taken oii' the supporti11g-ribs.

'tnesses: R. EICKEMEYER.

F. C. Tneanwenn, Jr., J. J. BARXETI.

machines i'or stretching hat-bodies, whereinribe init-` respeetivciy support. the tip :unl briui oi' the hat|-boi1y,

them to a contrai support, and providing them with n. 

